Holland America generally appeals to an older crowd and as a couple in their mid-sixties we were definitely among the youngest onboard. The Zuiderdam is starting to show her age (a 2002 build) with some upgrades made. We were told that she was due for a heavy dry dock later this year. Service on board was exceptionally good. The Indonesian and Philippine crew members were always smiling and met or exceeded expectations. The Dutch technical crew were all but invisible--the only time we saw the captain was one night when we ate at Cannaletto, the extra charge Italian restaurant. He and the staff captain were sitting at the next table.

We were in a Signature Suite--nice and large at about 350 sf and an extra large balcony that held two recliners, two chairs and a table with room to spare. Our room steward managed to spruce up the room at least three times a day with fresh towels and beds straightened after an afternoon nap. Decor had a definitely dated look but had been refreshed with new soft fittings and drapes.

We took one shore excursion in Panama and visited "Monkey Island"--definitely the highlight of the trip. Disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale was time-consuming and very slow but arriving on a Sunday with six other cruise ships made for a very crowded port area.